Building my first PC

[mbmiller94]

I've avoided building a PC ever since I bricked an old desktop while trying to upgrade it. Switching old parts back, searching the beep codes trying to figure out the problem, and eventually gave up. So I bought a mid-end iBuyPower and it does decent but its barely good enough for GTA V on low settings. But, I'd like 60fps on fairly high settings in 1920x1080. My current setup is an FX-6300, 8GB RAM, Radeon R7 200 Series (2gb VRAM) and a 7200rpm HDD. I don't want to go all out in spending in-case something goes wrong, but I need a build that's worth upgrading to.

Here is the build I'm considering (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Fg2WYJ):

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core ($194.99)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120V 86.2 CFM Liquid ($48.99)
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 ($114.88)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 ($53.99)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200RPM ($46.98)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4GB ($184.99)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX ($49.99)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE ($16.89)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($83.89)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DGX 24-bit 96 KHz ($29.99)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN3800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 ($27.73)
Monitor: Asus VS228H-P 21.5" Monitor ($99.99)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 ($11.88)
Total: $1080.17

Is this a good build for high end gaming, or thoughts on my psu and other part choices? I'm not looking for 100+fps in 4K or anything. Just something I can crank the settings up in GTA V and have a smooth framerate. Also, any tips on first time assembly and avoiding ESD?

 

[okcnaline]

I would wait until Pascal drops. *bass drops*
No, really. Price drops on those cards would be so huge you may be even able to snag a GTX 980 for the same price or the something.

 

[BadActor]

Your build is somewhat unbalanced. If using using the locked i5, water cooling is a waste of money that could be applied elsewhere in the build. The stock cooler is more than adequate. Same thing for the Z series motherboard if you're not going to overclock or use faster RAM. Definitely use an SSD for the OS. Use a better quality PSU with the money saved, and reconsider using a sound card. Onboard audio has evolved and using a cheap sound card isn't going to make a major improvement. Do as okcnaline suggested and wait for the new Pascal cards to be released. Current GPU will become cheaper, or you may decide to use one of the new ones which will have much better performance, lower power draw, and be priced in line with the GTX 9xx cards.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120V 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($53.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($114.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($53.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card ($184.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($16.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DGX 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN3800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS228H-P 21.5" Monitor ($105.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard ($11.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1036.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-11 06:19 EDT-0400

 

[mbmiller94]

Your build is somewhat unbalanced. If using using the locked i5, water cooling is a waste of money that could be applied elsewhere in the build. The stock cooler is more than adequate. Same thing for the Z series motherboard if you're not going to overclock or use faster RAM. Definitely use an SSD for the OS. Use a better quality PSU with the money saved, and reconsider using a sound card. Onboard audio has evolved and using a cheap sound card isn't going to make a major improvement. Do as okcnaline suggested and wait for the new Pascal cards to be released. Current GPU will become cheaper, or you may decide to use one of the new ones which will have much better performance, lower power draw, and be priced in line with the GTX 9xx cards.

Okay, I decided to go with the i5-6600, went with a ASRock H170A-X1/3.1 motherboard, and got a 240GB SSD for the OS and most used games/apps. The reason I was getting a sound card was not for quality, but because I use Digital Audio Workstations, and when using demanding plugins such as Serum, I get a lot of under-runs (pops and clicks). This forces me to up the buffer size to the max, which greatly increases latency making it impractical to use MIDI controllers.

But, now I see that a sound card will not offload audio processing from my CPU unless I go with one of the expensive models. So with the i5-6600 and 16GB of DDR4 RAM I think that alone will help me with my problem.

As for okcnalines' tip to wait until pascal drops, I may or may not wait, even though I know it's the smart thing to do, I'm not sure if I'm patient enough yet =p. As for now, I picked out a GTX 970 4GB instead of the 960. PCPartPicker says my build will use around 321W. I have picked out a EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply, would you recommend this PSU? I plan to use nothing but 80+ Gold or above, but I'm not sure if I'll need a 650W power supply.

Here is my updated build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kbJq6h
Any tips on it are greatly appreciated.

 

[okcnaline]

NEX650 turned out to actually be a G1, so not really recommended. I think the S12II 620W performed better.
As for the SSD... Hm.... PNY? Not a big player in the US... Perhaps this?
As for the RAM... You should've mention you're doing audio work. That changes up things quite a bit.

Here's the simple edits to your build, to make it slightly... Something better.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H170A-X1/3.1 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($79.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ TRION 150 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($284.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($16.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN3800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Rosewill RFA-120-WL 74.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($5.88 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VX228H 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1105.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-13 01:28 EDT-0400

Better, but... uglier... PSU. Oh well, Delta's frickin' legendary. Cheaper RAM accomodates for better SSD, though you can't go wrong with G.Skill anyways.

NOW, for a workstation build more fit for audio work...
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus H81M-K Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Blue 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($55.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: OCZ TRION 150 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($284.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($16.89 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Cooler Master OCTANE Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1117.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-13 01:40 EDT-0400

 

[BadActor]

You may be interested in this current deal on an EVGA GTX 970, $229.00 after rebate.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/463173/GeForce_GTX_970_SSC_GAMING_Video_Card_w-_ACX_20_Silent_Cooling

 

[mbmiller94]

NEX650 turned out to actually be a G1, so not really recommended. I think the S12II 620W performed better.
As for the SSD... Hm.... PNY? Not a big player in the US... Perhaps this?
As for the RAM... You should've mention you're doing audio work. That changes up things quite a bit.

Here's the simple edits to your build, to make it slightly... Something better.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Better, but... uglier... PSU. Oh well, Delta's frickin' legendary. Cheaper RAM accomodates for better SSD, though you can't go wrong with G.Skill anyways.

NOW, for a workstation build more fit for audio work...
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

I'm more interested in 1080p gaming on high settings with 60+ fps than I am audio work.
The CPU in my current computer that I'm gaming and doing audio work on is an FX-6300.
I'm sure the i5-6600 will still give me the performance boost I need in other areas besides gaming.

EDIT: I've been looking up the Xeon you suggested and sounds just as great for gaming, DDR3/DDR4 RAM isn't really going to affect anything I don't think.

Here's my updated build, with an OCZ SSD, a Gigabyte wifi card, Antec PSU, and the Intel Xeon.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Hr2NLk (EDIT: Have messed up this part list several times, lol, here is the final.)

Any further thoughts?
Also, how much do you recommend that I get Windows 10? I like Windows 8.1 just fine, and haven't felt the need to get used to something new, and heard a lot problems with game compatibility. I already can't figure out how to get Sim City 4 to play on Windows 8.1 and I don't want more older games to stop working. Maybe I'm just stubborn. What reasons would you suggest I use Windows 10 in a workstation/gaming build vs. using Windows 8.1?

You may be interested in this current deal on an EVGA GTX 970, $229.00 after rebate.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/463173/GeForce_GTX_970_SSC_GAMING_Video_Card_w-_ACX_20_Silent_Cooling

Sounds like a good deal, but apparently it is sold out, also now the price states it is $315 after rebate which is what is listed on my build. So I guessed I missed out on that, but I would not be able to buy any of these parts for a bit anyways.

 

[Nerdy Nerd]

Ok if you want high settings at 1080 with 60+ fps, then get the build I just completed. pcpartpicker.com/p/D8fsbv. I did a benchmark and it was on high setting at 1080 and got about 80 fps on average with a high of around 150 fps and a low of 40 fps. It pretty much always stayed at around 60-80 fps.

 

[mbmiller94]

Okay so there is a problem with the motherboard you suggested and my case:

Compatibility Notes

Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case has front panel USB 3.0 ports, but the Asus H81M-K Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard does not have onboard USB 3.0 headers.

 

[VR PC-BUILD]

I've avoided building a PC ever since I bricked an old desktop while trying to upgrade it. Switching old parts back, searching the beep codes trying to figure out the problem, and eventually gave up. So I bought a mid-end iBuyPower and it does decent but its barely good enough for GTA V on low settings. But, I'd like 60fps on fairly high settings in 1920x1080. My current setup is an FX-6300, 8GB RAM, Radeon R7 200 Series (2gb VRAM) and a 7200rpm HDD. I don't want to go all out in spending in-case something goes wrong, but I need a build that's worth upgrading to.

Here is the build I'm considering (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Fg2WYJ):

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core ($194.99)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120V 86.2 CFM Liquid ($48.99)
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 ($114.88)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 ($53.99)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200RPM ($46.98)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4GB ($184.99)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX ($49.99)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE ($16.89)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($83.89)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DGX 24-bit 96 KHz ($29.99)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN3800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 ($27.73)
Monitor: Asus VS228H-P 21.5" Monitor ($99.99)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 ($11.88)
Total: $1080.17

Is this a good build for high end gaming, or thoughts on my psu and other part choices? I'm not looking for 100+fps in 4K or anything. Just something I can crank the settings up in GTA V and have a smooth framerate. Also, any tips on first time assembly and avoiding ESD?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($343.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($268.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($48.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N10 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($9.82 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm Fan ($4.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm Fan ($4.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1097.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-15 02:39 EDT-0400

I don't know why you need sound and wifi adapters, I included wifi adapter but excluded sound adapter as this motherboard already has a great one built onto it. For great fps on any game you should go for higher CPU and GPU as possible. I thought of throwing in even higher GPU which is GTX980 but it is $200 costlier than GTX970 so when you have saved some then simply upgrade your GPU for better performance. As you are comfortable gaming on 1080p I provided you with one of the best Monitors at its range with inbuilt speakers. I excluded Windows from the list as you can get Windows 10 Pro OEM on sites like ebay.com for $25-35 so no need to spend a big amount on it.

 

[Nerdy Nerd]

Okay so there is a problem with the motherboard you suggested and my case:

Compatibility Notes

Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case has front panel USB 3.0 ports, but the Asus H81M-K Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard does not have onboard USB 3.0 headers.

This build is really good dude, just try a diffrent board like the one I have, h170 or you can do the z170. Why do you need a micro? And you do not have to use the front USB, the board itself has some USB ports.

 

[VR PC-BUILD]

Okay so there is a problem with the motherboard you suggested and my case:

Compatibility Notes

Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case has front panel USB 3.0 ports, but the Asus H81M-K Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard does not have onboard USB 3.0 headers.

This build is really good dude, just try a diffrent board like the one I have, h170 or you can do the z170. Why do you need a micro? And you do not have to use the front USB, the board itself has some USB ports.

Sorry sent you a very wrong listing. Very very sorry my bad. This is the actual list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($343.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($137.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($69.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($85.79 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card ($449.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($109.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($40.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1395.46
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-15 08:05 EDT-0400